Beyond Sunday Mornings
  • Home
  • About
  • Why XOXO?
  • December to Remember

December to Remember Day 12

12/12/2012

0 Comments

 

As Different As Night and Day

Picture
And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  -- Luke 2:8-9
Since we're all shepherds anyway, lets think for a minute what this must have been like. 

You're standing amidst a cool evening breeze in the expanse of an open field.  You're are squinting and straining for a glimpse of your flock against the backdrop of darkness.  The crickets are chirping, limbs crack echoing in the silence of the night.  You look out over your left shoulder, scanning for any sign of harm advancing toward your sheep.  It's safe in that direction, so You shift to the right, searching and listening for any suspicious movement.  Just as your eyes begin to focus in the blackness, the canopy of black is swallowed by brilliance that outshines the sunbeams that normally beat down on you at noon.  

Just think, one moment it's midnight, and the next moment, its as if it's noon.  You look around you and see no darkness anywhere, it's bright everywhere you turn.  Light has pierced the darkness - completely.   

You have never experienced this before, and understandably, you are a bit fearful of what is happening. 

The light that surrounded them wasn't from the noon day sun, it was God's glory shining around them. 

And they knew it.  Thus, their fear.

How do I know they knew it?

Because the word for glory in the original language says very apparent.

Let's play with those words a little to better grasp what it is saying - 
    And angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them and the very apparence of God shown around them.

Has the "apparence of God" ever been apparent to you in circumstances in your life?  I can answer that question with a resounding "Yes!"

It was pitch black outside and all of a sudden it was completely clear, they could see.

When God becomes apparent in a situation, the difference is night and day.

We can see through the darkness more clearly and can fall at his feet in fearful reverence that He has drawn near.

Your twelfth gift this December to Remember - God's apparence.  His Glory.  Right smack dab in the middle of the midnights of our lives.

Glorious Creator, You are never far.  Even in our darkest hours You are leaning in, ready to make your glory known to us.  Shine on and shine through, Father, pierce the darkness and show us your apparence in everyday situations in such a way that we fall in worship of your greatness.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Just me.
    Nothing fancy.
    Sharing with you as He shares with me.

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    February 2015
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012

    Even Older Posts

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    2 Corinthians
    Announcements
    Christmas Posts
    Coffee For Your Heart
    December To Remember
    Ecclesiastes
    Ephesians
    Family
    Galatians
    Genesis
    His Love For You
    Insignificance
    John
    Joy
    Lessons From Him
    Lessons From Nature
    Lessons From Parenting
    Lessons From Scripture
    Lessons In Real Life
    Lessons When I Was Weary
    Live It Out
    Philippians
    Prayers
    Printables
    Proverbs 31
    Redefining New
    What God Says About You
    What Stuck With Me


    RSS Feed

    Pin It!
Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from brx0, MipsyRetro, Philippe Put, Veridiano3, nicubunu.photo, Markus Unger, x-ray delta one, jmayer1129, Martin Pettitt, wetfeet2000, Vince Alongi, MR photography., vauvau, Mr TGT, Jrwooley6, Kit4na, rumpleteaser, Sheep purple, One Way Stock, Vox Efx, apparena, woodleywonderworks, midiman, kevin dooley, shimelle, Roswell_UMC, BineBluete, frankieleon, Jason Pratt, -JvL-, kaatjevervoort, SarahDeer, h.koppdelaney, Eleaf, RambergMediaImages, peasap, AnnaKika